


I See by Your Outfit You're A Cowboy

by LoriLee (cowgirl65)



Category: The Big Valley
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-09
Updated: 2013-05-09
Packaged: 2017-12-10 20:45:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/789987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cowgirl65/pseuds/LoriLee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jarrod meets a curious little girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I See by Your Outfit You're A Cowboy

**Author's Note:**

> The Challenge:
> 
> Write a story with the following as its first line:  
> "I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy."  
> This may be said by anyone to anyone, as long as one of those who say or hear it is a Barkley. And at some point in the story, the outfit of the cowboy of the first line is described. 
> 
> I don't own The Big Valley and make no money from this.

“I see by your outfit you’re a cowboy.”

Jarrod Barkley turned from where he was leaning against the corral fence. “And what makes you say that, little lady?” he asked the young girl in pigtails who’d just spoken.

“Well, you’re wearing a cowboy hat,” she pointed out. “You’ve got a vest and gloves and a gun and your pants are all dusty. Your boots look like you’ve been chasing cows, even if you’re not wearing spurs.”

Jarrod looked ruefully down at his clothes. He’d met Nick and Heath to finalize the sale contract on some prime beef his brothers brought down and they talked him into helping them take the small herd out to the buyer’s property. He hadn’t bothered to change before the ride home and did look like his brothers when they came in after a day on the range.

He chuckled. “I guess today you could say I am a cowboy,” he told her.

“I thought so,” she said with an air of satisfaction. “And I bet you have a horse too.”

“Couldn’t be a cowboy without one,” Jarrod assured her. He reached over to where his horse was curiously looking at them and gave the sorrel a pat on the shoulder. “This is Jingo.”

“Can I pet him?”

“Certainly.” Jarrod steadied her on the bottom rail of the fence so she could reach Jingo’s muzzle. 

She stroked the soft nose and sighed. “I’ve never met a real cowboy before. My brother’s gonna be so jealous.”

“Well, if I have to be completely honest, most of the time I’m not a cowboy,” he told her conspiratorially. “My brothers, though, are cowboys every day.”

“I’ll bet they’re not as good as you,” she insisted. She turned and saw a man waving at her from across the street. “Oh, there’s my papa. Gotta go. Thanks for letting me pet your horse.”

The little girl ran across the street “Papa! Papa! Guess what? I just met a real cowboy!”

Jarrod chuckled again as he watched her take her papa’s hand, talking non-stop as they walked down the street. No, he wasn’t one most of the time, but a little part of him would always be a cowboy.


End file.
